New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-30
THAT TROUBLESOME WATCH.
COLLECTOR SULLIVAN GlV1S III BACh'
~ WRITES AN EXPLANATION TO HIS sCPEkloh-AN
INVESTIGATION COURTED.

az WRITES AN EXPLANATION 10 HIS sCPEkloh-AN
INVESTIGATION COURTED.
swbat shall I do to be savedl" hummed Inter
sal Revenue Collector John A. Sullivan yesterday
as he sat in his office in the Temple Court ana
Locked cloomily out into the cold but exceed
tnglx bright world and down to the street below,
where people were hurrying brlslIy to ana iro'
Y1nconscouslv as he sat there his hand stole TO his
vatcl-chain Instantly, as though 1t vas red
hot coal the hand drew back and pcrpicAed
and worried expression took possession OF a
usually bright and Jolly countenance 1t was not
the fatal watch-chain that had been given to HIM
bv his subordnates that his fingers Involuntary
sought it was his old chain one he has worn Tor
many years But just at present the sight OF any
kind Of timcpicce. be it a Waterbury watch or an
eight-day clock is enough to cause MIN mucn
anguish. AS he thought the matter over anu
studied the law in the matter carefully MI sum,
van began to realize more fully th"t ne h'u
broken an important provision OF the heVlscu
Statutes and that his position ana those Vi HIS
subordinates ought necessarily to be taken away
TIRE WATCH RETURNED WITH EMOTION.
When he got to his Office early yesterday morn
inc his first action was to hand over to one of his
clerks the gold watch, chain and locket That had
been given him on Saturday last. His voice
,remblcd some said with emotion others with
anger when the glittcring icwclry was returned.
After this painful duty had been performed Mr..
Sullivan retired 10 his private office, overcome
with n feeling of loneliness. He sat down. ana
after silent contemplation he turned TO MS oosk
and wrote a long letter to his superior Ill "aSn-
ipcton lie told him how the presentation OF lhS
watch had taken pace admitted ms nI COW an
The law governing the case and asked lOr "l
Immediate invest igation. His statement OF now
he happened to receive the watch did not dncr
materially from the one printed IN NV said
on Thursday To reporter Mr.. sullivan Said
Yesterday that he had nothing further TO auu 10
his former statement II was correct IN every
particular, he continued ne was YUM -, ~
added to submit 10 an oNcrhaunng OF ms OiHcc'
and il would not result dsastrously to hlm.
He HEARD ABOUT IT EVERYWHERE.
Wherever he went yesterday the story or the
watch had preceded him. His friends III the as
trict crowded around him and cOndocd with him :
downtown they laid their hands lovingly on his
substantial shoulders and vowed that they would
stick to him. and some even volunteered TO go 10
WASHINGTON and intcrccde with the PRESIDENT III
his behalf Democratic commissioners and poll
ticians ward-worllcrs and heelers, some hlgh III
public life and others low went to his once 10
sympathizc with him If ne went to take o ra,,c
TO buy cigar, or get something to eat ihe S;'ihe
now old story met him. and to escape IL all nc
FASTENED to seek secusion in his Office
If This matter has caused the collector so much
+ronbln worry and anxiety, how must his suhor-
6inates who in many cases do not possess me
stronr political hacking that their cher does f9i
An the men employed in the office from the enc,
clerk down 10 tho common bon5keepers snhscri n
their share to tho present. There are thlrlN-nNe
of them altogether, and - hll came from ,. u,
man Their anxious inquiry was. " What VIII the
Department do?" Many Of them begin already
10 EXPECT a dismissal from the service, when ar-
cordng to the provision Of the statute Is me Only
thing that the President can now no u"i''' IN
disobeys the law.
THE GIVERs OF THE PRESENT
The men who gave the money are:
DAVID :. Wendell. Io'n1 w NJ IonIV"n'
a. iaT "A Tsni icGh Peter 4 Frunies,
Charles O'Eeilv, Jsne+ n. hyrhe
llexan Ter H. CorsoD John ". DIX
Andrew Blessing, John 4 noon n
Xn,oi o. sc cSli"cA' washington Hadley.
Francis Powers pilip Kieraan,
1eTnaf1 " Tone Thomas Murphy
F FSrRd Iienrianes David RYAN.
Fan IG:s,b F. n Ksiy' james Slry IT, accort
The majority Of these men are Democrats Of the
Tammany Hall persuasion and have been taken
into the office since the President removed Mr'
SulIiyau's predecessor Marshall i. Blake IN $50
Mir Sullivan SAYS that there are still some l'cpuD-
Leans left in the Office, and that they knew noun
Ing about the law IN regard 10 the presentation 81
rift TO supcriors. one Of them sad yesterday
that il was not the business Of subordinate 10
he familiar with all the laws and the Revised
ouire more than j. necessary to carry on inc buNl-
mes of the department. Every head Of depart
rcnt in the Government employ should nave
list If tl. law, that are likely t. govern nm
uud,r all circumstances and CONDITIONS. II Nlf
Sullivan had known the law in this matter ana
had explained it 10 rs why we wouid not nave
prcscntcd 10 him the watch and chain We coui
have taken some other way to show our regard
for him
THE CHIEF Is IGNORANT OF THE AFFAIR."
WAsH!>GroN. Dec 90 (Speci0i.-The announcement
I'm The TRIBUNE this Morning that Collector John ~
Sullivan OF the Id Internal Revenue District OF New
York had accepted a valuable gift from bis
smplovts in vislatios Of the Federal statute pr"
hilitinr the acceptance Of gifts from en-
ploves caused comment here, as the
existence OF the statute Is well known. Commissioner
Miller wins not at his Office to-day. being detained nj
home by slight Illness. At lis ksIae to-nlsht he wsu4u
not lie seen by callers lut the matter was brought to
his aattensn with request that 10 state what acton
Nanr thc Department would take In response he sent
III. following n.te: have been confined TO NV room
All DAY and have been 10 ihN Office for several dafs
This the frat have heard Of the matter ana cannot
cav at this TINA what there j. in It. j. = IL